With the dawning of summer 2024, many odd trends have encapsulated Generation Z, including AdidasSamba summer, Brat summer and “Love Island.” Of them all, the return of jorts is arguably the most outrageous and fabulous. Not to be confused with cutoffs, jorts are denim shorts reaching the knee or very low thigh.
While denim has existed since the 17th century, shorts were widely unaccepted until the mid-20th century when the culture of the sixties, or more notably, the era of counterculture, catalyzed individualism. Now, there was a new, alternative approach to life expressed through drug use, political protests and folk music. The same defiance against authority expressed itself through defiance against pants. This prompted some forward thinkers to cut the legs off of jeans, marking the first appearance of the DIY jort.
Prior to this, society scorned those who wore shorts in public, and some cities went so far as to ban them. Most places prohibited them as a matter of decency and modesty. However, because of population shifts to warmer climates, shorts came to be seen as acceptable.
Soon after the 1960s jort craze came, the 1970s brought about the rise of Daisy Dukes, the ultrashort denim cutoff. The namesake comes from Catherine Bach, who played Daisy Duke on “The Dukes of Hazzard.” The shorts she sported took the nation by storm: everyone wanted to be Daisy Duke.
Daisy Dukes led Americans into the 1980s and jorts became the norm. The 90s grunge atmosphere birthed baggier jorts that were often ripped or distressed. The 90s jort often swallowed the wearer’s leg with an ultra-loose look. A-List stars, such as Madonna, embraced the oversized menswear look frequently, giving jorts her seal of approval. The ultra baggy 90s jort paired with New York Timberlands became popular in the USA hip-hop scene and has remained a recognizable fashion statement worn by musicians, including Tyler, the Creator and Lil Yachty.
Jorts, by definition as denim shorts, have been relevant since the sixties. However, the baggier, longer jort in recent fashion has fluctuated since the nineties. The 2000s low-rise and 90s grunge jort look birthed the 2024 jort: a baggy, low-rise statement piece.
Clear evidence of how jort culture has evolved, high-end fashion brands have incorporated them into runway collections, giving them a sophisticated look. Spring 2023 runways from Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Fendi and Natasha Zinko included jorts stylishly paired with lavish accessories such as tailored tops or flashy jackets.
My roommate has inspired me to rock a pair of baggy wrangler jorts from time to time. She taught me that jorts are not about the denim hanging from your hips; they’re about not caring what other people think. One cannot let the jort wear them! I support the return of jorts and hope to see more of my peers dare to wear them out of the dorm.
